accepting responsibility, 109
explained, 112
“agony of defeat,” 112
Allan, Paul, 163
alternatives
testing against goals, 123-124
Amazon, 131
anchoring effect
example, 63
Are You a Maximizer or Satisficer? questionnaire, 27-28
Are You a Risk Taker? questionnaire, 23-26
assessing
maximizers versus satisficers, 27-28
problems, 8
ATP Oil & Gas, 54
attributions, 108
automatic “action” strategies, 57
barriers to rational decision process, 11-15
Berenson, B., 95
Berra, Yogi, 171
biases and errors, 13
explained, 112
confirmation bias, 71-73, 174-175
overcoming, 73
emotional involvement error, 103-106
emotional cascades, 105
negative emotions, 105
false cause-effect relations, 175
overcoming, 93
example, 75
hindsight bias, 115-117, 174-175
overcoming, 117
immediate gratification bias, 59-62
inertia bias. See procrastination
initial values, 66
reducing, 102
example, 83
overcoming, 86
selective perception bias, 67-70
overcoming, 109
example, 95
ignoring, 97
Billings, J., 51
Borders, 131
Branson, Richard, 4
Cantril, H., 75
Capote, T., 79
cause-effect relations, 162, 175
change, embracing, 155
Chesterton, G. K., 67
Clark, Shawna, 69
Clinton, Bill, 116
cognitive bias. See biases and errors
collectivism, 167
complexity of problems, 12
confirmation bias, 71-73, 174-175
overcoming, 73
conflict, 123
consequences of decisions, 133-135
considering decisions in context, 133-135
control
emotional control
emotional cascades, 105
emotional involvement error, 103-106
explained, 41
locus of control
explained, 31
Cooper, Carl, 141
costs
cost of doing nothing, 173-174
criteria. See decision criteria
critical decisions, identifying, 137-140
Davis, Ray, 103
Decca Recording Company, 51
decision making, 171
anchoring effect
example, 63
biases and errors
confirmation bias, 71-73, 174-175
emotional involvement error, 103-106
false cause-effect relations, 175
hindsight bias, 115-117, 174-175
immediate gratification bias, 59-62
inertia bias. See procrastination
initial values, 66
selective perception bias, 67-70
considering decisions in context, 133-135
cost of doing nothing, 173-174
decision styles
explained, 21
intuitive decision style, 21
rational decision style, 21
emotional control
explained, 41
negative emotions, 41
imaginary patterns and superstitions, 87-89
immediate gratification bias, 59-62
impulsiveness
emotional intelligence (EI), 60
example, 59
explained, 37
locus of control
explained, 31
lowering expectations, 147
maximizers versus satisficers, 147
explained, 28
outcomes, lack of control over, 5
outsider’s perspective, 175
causes, 53
explained, 44
famous examples, 51
procrastination
causes, 56
rational decision process, 7-10
advantages of, 8
managing irrationality, 14
summary, 173
rehashing past decisions, 149-152
risk taking, 153-155, 157-159, 167
cultural differences, 167
explained, 26
value of, 176
status quo, maintaining, 125-127, 129-132
decision making biases and errors adaptation bias, 111-113
decision styles
explained, 21
intuitive decision style, 21
rational decision style, 21
delay in feedback, 162
Detroit Automobile Company, 157
developing emotional control, 105-106
Digital Equipment Co., 51
Disney, Walt, 157
doing nothing, 125-127, 129-132
Dr. Seuss, 157
Drucker, Peter, 141
Dyson, James, 157
EI (emotional intelligence), 60
embracing change, 155
emotional cascades, 105
emotional control
emotional cascades, 105
emotional involvement error
explained, 41
emotional intelligence (EI), 60
emotional involvement error, 103-106
emotional cascades, 105
negative emotions, 105
errors. See biases and errors
evaluating alternatives, 9, 12
expectations, lowering, 147
experience, overreliance on, 13, 161-164
external locus of control, 30
false cause-effect relations, 175
falsifying frames, 78
overcoming, 93
feedback, delay in, 162
feeling decision style, 21
Fisher, Irving, 51
Ford, Henry, 157
Ford Motor Company, 157
example, 75
Gabel, M., 125
Gates, Bill, 21
Geffen, D., 111
Geisel, Theodor, 157
generating alternatives, 9
Gorbachev, Mikhail, 21
Gretzky, Wayne, 153
Hernandez, Julie, 149
hindsight bias, 115-117, 174-175
overcoming, 117
Hubbard, E. G., 157
Iacocca, Lee, 137
identifying important decisions, 137-140
ignoring. See overcoming
immediate gratification bias, 59-62
importance of decision making, 3-5
impulsiveness, 13
emotional intelligence (EI), 60
emotional involvement error, 103-106
emotional cascades, 105
negative emotions, 105
example, 59
explained, 37
incorrect attributions, 108
individualism, 167
inertia bias. See procrastination
interconnection between decisions, 133-135
internal locus of control, 30
intuitive decision style, 21
irrationality, managing, 14
Jordan, Michael, 157
Kindle, 131
Kissinger, Henry, 121
Kmart, 131
Lair, J., 45
learning from past, 13
life-changing decisions, identifying, 137-140
reducing, 102
links between decisions, 133-135
locus of control
explained, 31
Lovecraft, H. P., 91
lowering expectations, 147
Lucci, Todd, 99
Lynch, Peter, 91
maintaining status quo, 125-127, 129-132
managing irrationality, 14
Manning, Peyton, 4
Marx, Groucho, 83
maximizers versus satisficers, 147
explained, 28
memory, selective, 13
Moore, Dee, 121
National Rifle Association (NRA), 77
neutral parties, input from, 175
9/11 attacks, 11
NRA (National Rifle Association), 77
Obama, Barack, 134
obsessing on past decisions, 149-152
Olson, Ken, 51
outcomes, lack of control over, 5
outsider’s perspective, 175
overabundance of options, 145-148
confirmation bias, 73
emotional involvement error, 105-106
familiarity bias, 93
hindsight bias, 117
limited search error, 102
representation bias, 86
selective perception bias, 69-70
self-serving bias, 109
sunk costs, 97
overcoming adaptation bias, 112-113
causes, 53
explained, 44
famous examples, 51
overreliance on experience, 13
past decisions, revisiting, 149-152
perceptions, selective perception bias, 67-70
personality factors
decision styles
explained, 21
emotional control
explained, 41
impulsiveness
emotional intelligence (EI), 60
example, 59
explained, 37
knowing your personality tendencies, 174
locus of control
explained, 31
maximizers versus satisficers, 147
explained, 28
causes, 53
explained, 44
famous examples, 51
procrastination
causes, 56
cultural differences, 167
explained, 26
Pickens, T. Boone, 163
priorities, assessing, 123
complexity of, 12
identifying, 8
causes, 56
questionnaires
Are You a Maximizer or Satisficer?, 27-28
Can You Control Your Emotions?, 39-41
What’s Your Decision Style?, 19-20
Who Controls Your Destiny?, 29
Rand, Ayn, 21
Randall, Chuck, 55
rational decision process, 7-10
advantages of, 8
biases and errors, 13
unrealistic assumptions, 12
managing irrationality, 14
summary, 173
rational decision style, 21
rationality
biases and errors, 13
unrealistic assumptions, 12
rational decision process, 7-10
reducing limited search error, 102
rehashing past decisions, 149-152
reinforcement theory, 158
example, 83
overcoming, 86
responsibility, accepting, 109
revisiting past decisions, 149-152
cultural differences, 167
explained, 26
value of, 176
Robbins, S., 145
Robinson, J. H., 71
Rogers, Will, 55
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 21
Sanders, Harland, 157
Satie, E., 87
satisfactory (“good enough”) choices, 14-15
satisficers versus maximizers, 147
explained, 28
Schulz, Charles, 129
Schweitzer, Albert, 21
scoring
decision style questionnaire, 20
emotional control questionnaire, 40-41
impulsiveness questionnaire, 36-37
locus of control questionnaire, 30
maximizer/satisficer questionnaire, 27-28
overconfidence questionnaire, 43-44
procrastination questionnaire, 34
risk-taking questionnaire, 26
Sears, 131
Segal, Nancy, 95
selective memory, 13
selective perception bias, 67-70
overcoming, 109
sensationalism in media, 79-80
September eleventh attacks, 11
shaping life via decisions, 3-5
skepticism, 73
slowing down pleasurable activities, 112-113
speeding up unpleasant activities, 112-113
Spielberg, Steven, 4
status quo
cost of doing nothing, 173-174
example, 95
ignoring, 97
taking risk. See risk taking
Tang, Cindy, 129
thinking decision style, 21
“thrill of victory,” 112
Truman, Harry, 149
Twain, Mark, 7
unrealistic assumptions, 12
upfront commitments, 57
values, assessing, 123
voluntary constraints, 57
Vulcan Capital, 163
Walmart, 131
weighting decision criteria, 9, 12
Weiner, Sheri, 59
What’s Your Decision Style? questionnaire, 19-20
Wilde, Oscar, 161
Wilder, T., 3
Wilson, I. E., 133